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In Reply to: RE: Who are your Classical "Marmite" composers? posted by John C. - Aussie on September 12, 2014 at 15:50:50
. . . I'd say Shostakovich for sure. I just don't understand what so many people hear in his music.
(I assume marmite = overrated?)
I can't think of other composers at the moment whom I'd put into this category. Even with composers I don't like, I wouldn't begrudge them their current "ratings" - except for Shostakovich! ;-)
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My favourite part of the 6th symphony is the last page. I think Shostakovich should have written a whole symphony of endings.....
I like Prokofiev's endings as well - love the 5th symphony, especially when you can hear the jazzy piano. I had a Danish/Tuxen performance where the piano was great.
Just by chance, I happened to be listening to the Svetlanov/Hague recording on the Canyon label day before yesterday (first two movements anyway), on account of having just transferred the CD to iTunes. (Hard to believe, but I do actually have some Shostakovich CD's!) I told my wife before listening that this was one of the most infamous symphonies ever composed - her comment was that it deserved its infamy! ;-)
That's Firebird Suite ( shortest version ) and Bruckner 9th's Scherzo for me!
Alan's right. Digging into Shostakovich (and the history and struggle that define him) takes some effort. And conductors who can handle him (heard a marvelous performance of his Eighth by Calvin Simmons at Zellerbach [now you have a hint about where I worked :-)] and his Tenth by George Cleve in San Jose). No ambivalence here at all about him. He's on my frequently-played list.
Britten and Hindemith also get a fair number of spins in this household. So I guess it's safe to say that for those three composers we've never had to call in Orkin to deal with a marmite infestation.
Jim
http://jimtranr.com
Chris, as you raise the question, "Marmite" doesn't really mean "overrated". It connotes something that has only two possible reactions,love or hate. Any middle ground position such as " quite like" or "not too keen" is impossible.Marmite is an edible spread extracted from yeast, mainly consumed in the UK. It is extraordinarily pungent and provokes extreme reactions. It's advertising campaign is all about the polar reactions it provokes. I love it but when I tried some on some friends from Seattle their faces were quite a picture!
So, a composer may be overrated but still have some positive qualities. One really needs to compare the geniuses with those of no merit at all(at least in one's opinion). So, for me, Haydn in the love corner and anyone who is part of the 1960's Manchester School of composers in the other.
Edits: 09/13/14
I'm glad the original article referred to Marmite which I can happily leave alone, and did not refer to our yummie Vegemite, which my American born wife despises!
Maybe these spreads are an acquired taste just as liking some composer's music and intensely disliking others is a acquired taste. Repeated listening can evoke strange consequences. Years ago, inspired by a glowing Gramophone report, I purchased a Stockhausen piano LP and was horrified at the ":music". Subsequently I often played it to visitors to demonstrate how awful it was but ended up liking it!!!
And I do confess to having made this same mistake since. Inspired by a BBC Music Mag review I purchased a BD of the Pergolesi opera "Adriano in Siria" and enthusiastically set it down as the item of the night to enjoy with our music appreciation friends. Well it went down like a lead balloon - we all hated it and I'm really not prepared to view it multiple times to see if that furthers appreciation. But then I guess others love it!!!
It would be a dull world if we all had the same tastes!!
John
Enjoying 12,000 mostly classical CDs via Sennheiser HD800 headphones & M2TECH Vaughan DAC -> HeadRoom BlockHead headphone amplifier fed from a Meridian (Sooloos) server system.
The main 7.1 MC electrostatic speaker system is for A/V at night.
Vile tasting yeast paste, sez I.
YMMV and all that.
I guess he would be next on my list also but I do find some of his chamber works very attractive.
The other composers I'm hot and cold on are Elgar and Britten although I would not go so far as to label them Marmite because some of their works are awe inspiring. But then others are unappealing to me, particularly some (not all) of the Britten operas.
John
Enjoying 12,000 mostly classical CDs via Sennheiser HD800 headphones & M2TECH Vaughan DAC -> HeadRoom BlockHead headphone amplifier fed from a Meridian (Sooloos) server system.
The main 7.1 MC electrostatic speaker system is for A/V at night.
I always chalked his reputation up to British chauvinism, but actually, he's probably a good candidate too (for being overrated). The very first opera I ever did as a rehearsal pianist was "Albert Herring" - I still hate it to this day. SO lame! ;-)
And I've got a fair amount of his stuff, 'cause my wife loves Pears.
Almost as much as Britten did! =:-0
Lord knows I have tried. But I just don't get it. Yet his music seems to be wildly popular.
He's like the story that on the re-telling, just does not seem funny and at the end the story teller pauses and says...
"I guess you had to be there."
Shostakovich is hard to like. But then, anyone who can piss off Stalin can't be all bad, can they?
But then, as much as I appreciate Mahler, I don't love his works as others do.
I think Shostakovich takes a lot of time and effort. Similar to Mahler and Bruckner. I still feel the 5th symphony is one of the great works of the 20th century. Bruckner is the composer I can't deal with.
Alan
I have heard 3 different orchestras (BBC Phil, Berlin Phil, and San Francisco Symphony) play symphonies live, conducted by Sarasate, Nelsons and Dutoit. I have listened to all of the symphonies, several times with the Kitajenko SACD set, and I have also listened to alternative recordings on LP (Bernstein and Stokowski). I still don't get, although the performance of the 9th with the Berlin Phil almost worked for me.
I did not find Mahler to be nearly as hard - in fact, I related to the first first recording I heard, the Mahler 1 with Walter.
Bruckner is a tougher nut for me, although I love the 8th. Can't deal with the 9th (although it makes more sense with the 4th movement completed), and I find the 5th to be a music professor's dream.....not so interesting for me. I'm good with the 4th and 7th, and still working on the 6th.
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